Misogyny in the South Korean Presidential Elections

South Korean politics took a right-wing, antifeminist turn during the presidential election in early March. In one of the closest elections in recent history, Yoon Suk-yeol bested liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung by 263,000 votes — a result many analysts see as the culmination of a backlash against the push for gender equality spurred by the #MeToo movement.

In 2018, Korean women began speaking out about sexual assault, largely in response to a public prosecutor who shared her story of being groped at a funeral in 2010 by a South Korean ministry of justice official. The story opened the floodgates, and women began sharing their stories en masse, highlighting abuse in industries ranging from law to entertainment. Many women felt inspired to reconsider Korean cultural expectations that women be “quiet and nice.”

This wave of discourse also translated to direct action. The BBC reported on women taking to the streets in protest and hosting a nonstop marathon storytelling session where 193 women discussed their experiences of sexual harassment for 2,018 minutes.

Unfortunately, many men in Korea saw this movement as a threat. The Nation reports that almost 80% of young Korean men have come to see themselves as victims of reverse sexism, adding that many Korean men regard feminists as afflicted with “antisocial ideology” and “mental disease.” According to The Guardian, women’s advancement in society has become a scapegoat for men’s lack of employment and poor finances in the country.

These developments only added to a nation in which gender discrimination already persisted. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which includes the U.S., U.K., Chile, and New Zealand, found that South Korea had one of the highest gender pay gaps; South Korean women make 31.5% less than men. Additionally, women make up only 19% of the South Korean National Assembly and, The Guardian reports, face “pervasive digital sex crimes,” including spycam crime, where secretly installed cameras are used to spy on women’s bathrooms and changing rooms.

Yoon latched on to these anxieties in his presidential campaign. He denied that systemic gender discrimination exists in South Korea and blamed feminists for the country’s low birthrate. Misogyny is infused into his proposed policy changes, such as heightening penalties for women who falsely accuse men of sexual assault. The policy has sparked concerns that greater penalties might prevent women from coming forward and ignores that South Korea already has significantly harsher punishment for spreading false accusations than most developed countries. Yoon has also vowed to dismantle the gender equality ministry, a small department advocating on behalf of marginalized women, which he argues is no longer necessary.

Unfortunately, Yoon is not alone in his hatred of feminism. His political party, People Power, has aligned itself with an antifeminist voting bloc, especially after the victory of a 36-year-old “antifeminist,” Lee Jun-seok, in Seoul’s mayoral election. The party has labeled feminism “‘unconstitutional,’ comparing it to extremism and fascism,” reports The Washington Post.

The People Power party, however, seems only marginally more fraught than its opponent, the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party’s members have a track record of being accused of sexual assault. The Nation reports three major figures in the party died by suicide or were sentenced to jail after being accused of sexual misconduct and harassment. Afterward, party members launched a ruthless attack against the men’s accusers, which The Nation suggests may have made women more hesitant to vote for the Democrats.

Making matters worse, this election cycle, the Democratic Party was still attempting to court the antifeminist voting bloc right up until it was clear that Yoon won them over. The party started catering to women and feminists in a last-ditch attempt, increasing their membership by 20,000 in two days.

Serious strides have been made in South Korean women’s fight for equality, and the movement toward a brighter future will continue despite Yoon’s leadership. As 34-year-old Kim Hye-yoon said, “Everyone knows that misogyny in Korea is a serious problem, and while it’s comforting to see change is occurring, when I saw the election of a candidate who pledged misogyny, I knew we still have a long way to go.”